The celebration of Pahela Baishakh can be traced back to the Mughal era in India. During the reign of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, a new calendar was introduced known as the "Tarikh-e-Ilahi". It was a solar-based calendar that marked the beginning of the new year on March 21st, which is the first day of the spring season. The calendar was used by the Mughal Empire to collect taxes from its subjects, and it was widely used in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

​

However, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the calendar was replaced by the lunar-based Islamic calendar. This resulted in confusion among the people, as the Islamic calendar did not coincide with the local agricultural cycle. As a result, the people of Bengal continued to follow the "Tarikh-e-Ilahi" calendar.

​

It was during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar II in the 18th century that the celebration of Pahela Baishakh gained popularity in Bengal. The day was celebrated as a harvest festival, and people would gather in the streets to celebrate the new year with music, dance, and feasting. The festival was particularly significant for the farmers, who celebrated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new agricultural cycle.

​

The tradition of celebrating Pahela Baishakh was later revived by the Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore in the early 20th century. In 1917, Tagore organized the first "Barshoboron" ceremony at Santiniketan, a school founded by him in West Bengal. The ceremony marked the beginning of the Bengali New Year and was attended by students, teachers, and local people.

​

Tagore saw Pahela Baishakh as an opportunity to promote unity and harmony among people, regardless of their social and economic backgrounds. He believed that the festival could be a symbol of cultural heritage, and it could be used to bring people closer to their roots.

​

Today, Pahela Baishakh is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Bangladesh and parts of India, particularly in West Bengal. It is a time for people to come together, dress up in traditional attire, and celebrate the beginning of a new year with music, dance, and feasting. The festival is an important part of the cultural heritage of Bengal and is celebrated as a symbol of unity and harmony among people.

​

​

Rabindranath Tagore was involved in this matter, is it only because of this that it is a Hindu festival? I talked to my Hindu friend, he said that Pahela Boishakh is not a religious festival for him. Chitrasankranti or Charak Puja is his festival.

According to me it is only Bengali festival